What keeps business owners up at night? Many would say sluggish
productivity or escalating expenses. An employee coming to work every day
usually doesn’t make the list. But a staff member who never takes a day off can
cause problems by showing up sick, distracted or too stressed out to be
effective. There’s a name for this problem: presenteeism.
What’s the issue?
The premise of presenteeism is simple. Employees who aren’t
feeling well — for whatever reason — don’t perform well. They may:
- Work more slowly,
- Struggle concentrating or making decisions,
- Take more frequent breaks,
- Make more mistakes, or
- Need to repeat tasks until they’re completed correctly.
But it may not end there. When employees come to work while
suffering from communicable diseases, such as a cold or the flu, the problem
can grow exponentially. One worker coughs on two people who get sick, and they
cough on four people who get sick, and so on.
Is there a cure?
Because presenteeism can stem from a gamut of sources, companies
must be on guard for dips in productivity. When one occurs, managers should
know how to discuss the matter with the potentially affected employees.
Your benefits program may hold the key. Both the employee and
your organization may be better served if the worker takes advantage of
available benefits — such as paid sick days, an employee assistance program or
leave of absence — that will help him or her deal with the outside stressor
causing presenteeism.
It’s also important to emphasize wellness. Many companies now
offer formal wellness programs to encourage actions such as engaging in
exercise, getting an annual physical and learning about healthy living.
What’s the number?
It’s much easier to detect presenteeism when you’re measuring
productivity. Choose the right metrics and don’t underestimate this potentially
costly threat to your profitability.
© 2016
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